ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chest — of your body
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. root — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — of your body
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chest — a box
  24. lean — to bend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com